General Update
So... I'm getting close to finishing the novel. I'm on page 99 out of 138 transcribing to the third draft. And I've been doing ten pages a day on my time off. My deadline is November 1st. It's going to be close, but I think that I can hit it. Recently, I had to cut off a part that I really liked because it was extraneous to the story, but hey... what can you do? Except... leave it for the sequel. I'm going to try and make the next review that admirable animation of Phineas and Ferb. If anything, I need to, to bridge the grab between two really tough, difficult shows. But the only question is... what can I do afterwards? I'd really like to do that review on The Loud House. The problem is that it's not on DVD yet because the first season isn't done. And that's most likely the only way that I'll be able to get footage of it. So - which episode is it gonna be? The problem so far has been that no episode has truly hit the highs that I like to select for admirable animations. You know, I want it to really show what the show can do, and what it's good with. And a lot of episodes that I otherwise like or would have picked have... these really bad ending gags where it looks like Lincoln (or whoever) is going to win, but something freak out of nowhere happens and they screw up and everything goes wrong and the episode ends. It just makes the plot feel pointless. Not to mention that sometimes it even feels like Diabolus Ex Machina, like in "Cover Girls." That's one habit that I'd really like it if they dropped. But, let's talk about what The Loud House does really, exceptionally right. I've considered many episodes, like Along Came a Sister, but two specifically had caught my eye - Undie Pressure ''and ''A Tattler's Tale. They're very similar episodes, in that Lola plays the main antagonist. A lot of people don't like Lola, but I have to admit that she's one of my favorites. The only Loud sister I like more is Leni. But how could that be? She's a spoiled brat, who constantly tattles, and manipulates to get her way. And I have ranted and raved about little kid characters like that before. The difference here is that the show knows this. Unlike in D.W.'s Very Bad Mood, when Lola acts manipulative, the episode sees her as the villain. And to tell you the truth, Lola is a very good villain. She's manipulative and underhanded and frightening and megalomaniacal, and all of those things make a great villain. Whenever she plays the antagonist, it's always an interesting performance. And if Undie Pressure proves anything, her character can give very good performances. And towards the end of both episodes, she seems to be actually repentant and growing. It's quite interesting. There's another admirable animation that snuck up on me. It's from a show that I've already reviewed, but the episode from it is like one of my favorite episodes ever. I want to review "The Choices" from The Amazing World of Gumball. One thing that I regret not talking about is how Gumball frequently deconstructs the more confusing or stereotypical aspects of sitcoms. There have been episodes that deconstruct negative continuity (The Finale), retconing (The Void), and even reruns (The Rerun). This episode deconstructs the question of "why does she stay with him, when he's a fat idiot slob and she's far too good for him" and it makes it a very tearjerking tale. It's very reminiscent of the first ten minutes of Up. And it actually made me feel kind of bad that the show might be ending after season 6, if they can pull out episodes like this five years in. Unfortunately, once again I'll have to wait for DVD's to talk about this one. People keep telling me about sites like Kisscartoon, and I'd rather not use those videos. Number one - I'd like to support, even what I bash. And number two - they tend to have logos, which lower the production value for the reviews. ------ Most of the Admirable Animations that I really want to do are movies. The problem with that is that movies take forever, even when they're atrocities. And Admirable Animation reviews are more difficult to make. I know that sounds kind of backwards, but it is true. The movies really are piling up too - Mary and Max, It's Such a Beautiful Day, Animal Crossing Movie, Wolf Children, and many others that are readily growing. One thing that I can do is "Bismuth" from Steven Universe. A lot of people would suggest "Mr. Greg" over this one, and while I might talk about that episode at some point, I think that "Bismuth" is... a much bigger turning point in the series. This is the first episode where we really start seeing that Rose - a character who had largely been idolized by everyone prior - has... faults. It adds a deeper complexity to the series, and I really admire it for that. And I also want to do a third web animations video. You've seen some of the things I'll be talking about in my Cavalcade of Comedy review - "Out of Sight" and "Kaizo Trap" and maybe even Dorkly, although I'd love to talk about web animations with less than a million views. It... lives up to the point more that way. ----- The next atrocity is obviously Legends of Chamberlain Heights. And then it's The Nutshack. Three annoying adult cartoons in a row. Oh, and if you're wondering, the next Further Thoughts is going to be on "Test of the Tested." Category:Miscellaneous